Howdy! And once again welcome to NTOO. I am sometimes amazed by our culture and at other times I just feel a little sad for us as a people, and I will double back to that in a bit. I want to talk about shinny things. I’m not much of a fisherman, I’ve done it, just never found it as relaxing as some do. I don’t find it particularly exciting, but I know that it can be. Mostly watching some video of someone hooking a big tuna, a Marlon, or even perhaps a shark. I know that a lot of fishing is done from the shore or a pier, and probably not as exciting as some of those before mentioned videos. My son in law, loves fishing and takes his three boys with him and they seem to have a good time, and the best part is probably the memories they make together. He loves to fish, but refuses to ingest anything that comes from the sea, catch and release, or gives it away . I think there is a little disconnect there, but that is not what we are here for. I took note of that several different kinds of fish are attracted to shinny things, as in the form of lures, bait, and other things people may use to increase the probability that they aren’t just drowning worms ☺️☺️. Some believe that the light reflected off of the lures, resemble scales of other fish or something that may be tasted to eat. So, their attraction to shinny things is directly connected to a food source, which equivilates to survival, but what is our story here ?? As human beings, why are we so attracted to shinny things?. We live in a time, where people make money just for influencing other people, that is their whole gig. They get followers or subscribers and they make recommendations , maybe to a restaurant, or some article of clothing, or it could even be a Broadway show. And you guessed it, there job title is “Influencers”. I mean on the surface it may seem like the dream job to have, but often these people are making endorsement for products and services that they have never used personally , or have any idea of a track record, performance standards, or realistic reviews of actual customers. It brings back to mind , back in the eighties when PepsiCo was paying millions of dollars to Michael Jackson to endorse their product, but he refused to bring it to his lips for a sip, purely in it for the money, and for you karma lovers out there, that is when he caught his hair on fire☺️☺️☺️. Yes, that was definitely what you would call a digression ☺️☺️. I’ve never been against capitalism,, I believe that it is one of the things that makes this a great nation, so please, go make a buck, but what does it say about the rest of us, who fall prey to slick advertising, packaged in the latest shinny box. I will fully admit that I’m not any kind of standard or model here, when it comes to the latest styles, fads or what -nots. I’m more from the school of it ain’t broke , then it doesn’t need fixing. The translation for that is, I’m not going to run out and get the latest IPhone just because they have come out with a new model, with some enhanced camera lens on it. The email telling me that I’m eligible for an upgrade is a waste of time and energy on their part. I clearly understand that some folks , have just been chomping at the bit for the latest version of whatever the latest thing is. Research tells us that most new things be it a fashion or a fad starts on the coasts , primarily New York, or L.A. , but not exclusively and rolls out across the nation. This may explain why some people in the Midwest part of the country are some of the most grounded and traditional in the nation. Perhaps the latest whatever looses momentum before it reaches them . Let’s get back to Shinny things, there is a strong case, a very strong case to be made for , how can we enjoy the moment, when we are always chasing the next thing? This goes way pass the argument of being content opposed to being ambitious. Neither of those things are bad in themselves, but they need to be framed in the proper context. I don’t believe that anyone can or should tell you about limitations on success, but you need to judge for yourself to what extent , is your success driven by. Yes, when is enough a enough?. Someone challenged me recently about my motivation for writing some of the things that I write, and I tell you that I had to check myself ,and greatly appreciated their perspective on things. We all need feedback and accountability, even those who don’t believe that to be the case. When we are talking about success, that is or should be an individual benchmark. Again it goes to motivation. Are you trying to achieve a better standard of living for your family, noble cause! Is your motivation just simply being the best opposed to being the best you, and there is a difference. Are you scratching and clawing your way to the top, or Conniving, and stepping on and over others to get that corner office?. Is your motivation spurred by what others think of you? I recently observed two low level managers come in at the same time, within sixty days the position immediately above them became vacant, yep, you guessed it, they both applied for it, when they hadn’t even proven themselves in there current position, how laughable or sad, depending on your perspective. Do you believe that it works against you, if you aren’t pushing for the next thing? If you have a plan for your career track, does it have clear parameters as to what you want to accomplish? . Shinny Things is not just about dissatisfaction with your job, it’s a noun, so it actually covers people, places, or things. Well,,what does that look like? I get that Covid has forever changed our world, and I also get that work ethic is a diminishing trait in our culture. Some Job seekers are switching jobs, every time they can get a bump in salary, and yes inflation is a real thing. Once upon a time it was seen as a negative to have multiple jobs in a short span of time, but now it has become the norm, and employers are paying premiums for what may very well be a flash in the pan. People are always looking at the next big thing, be it a job, a new relationship, because the last one was just to stale, or perhaps it’s that new boat, because twelve extra feet is, well it’s just bigger, so it must be better. ☺️☺️Well guess what, there is always a bigger boat. Is the grass always greener on the other side? Perhaps it is, and maybe not so much! Again, I think much of it goes to motivation and I think often our motivation is just so jacked up. Why do we care so much about what other people think about us. What is the payoff? Why do we wish to be admired by others, both those we know and those that we don’t? I’ve learned a long time ago that what you see on the outside or the surface doesn’t always tell the story about what is going on , on the inside. I use to live next door to a coast guard warrant officer. He had all of the toys, the boat, the motorcycle, three cars, big fancy pick up truck, you name it and he had it. He didn’t own those things, those things owned him. Always washing and cleaning, and all of the time and money to maintain them, he rarely got to enjoy them. Driving by his house, you may think man he’s got it made…did he really. ? I always saw him cleaning the pool, rarely saw him enjoying the pool. When a complete stranger admires what you are driving, what value do you derive from that? Someone you don’t know and may never see again, but its important that you impress them….why?? Even if it’s someone that you know, why is it important to you that they hold you in high esteem? The old joke is, the one with the most toys at the end wins, but you never see a Hurst pulling a uhaul. In case you miss the connection, you can’t take it with you when you leave. I am some what curious as to why, when we have a blessing of ” more”, be it income, time, or some other precious commodity, why do we see it as an opportunity to increase our perceived image,? as in the form of a bigger house, or a fancier luxury model sedan. It may be an old fashioned or outdated concept, but what about helping others, who may be less fortunate than yourself? Why does more money have to equivalate to more stuff? It is almost a vicious cycle, you get more stuff, then you need to make more money to maintain said stuff. If you go by almost any lawn or garage sale, you will see things that people just had to have, but rarely used. There is no shortage of shinny things for us to chase after. All we have to do is turn on the TV, and it will tell us just how lacking our lives are. There is some new gadget or gizmo that you can’t live without, and you were just fine before you knew that it existed. I have nothing against dream vacations and I believe in them whole heartily. Again, it goes to motivation, is your dream vacation spot a reason to boast or to brag to others ?, is it meant to be your latest social media share…look at me? I don’t know when our culture became so much about look at me, but it is in an excess now, every where we turn. I know as time goes on, it just gets harder and harder to believe that once upon a time a person’s personal and private life, was just that, private. We didn’t need to know someone’s relationship status, where they vacationed, or their sexual orientation. Personally, I still don’t need to know or much care. What if we lived for ourselves and instead of for all of those around us. What if we just stopped thinking or caring so much about others approval, or what they think about us. I said that I would get back to the point about us as a people, being of a sad sort. If our success is only gaged by money, possessions, and position, how sad is that.? It is even sadder, when you consider that much of our motivation is fuelled by what others think of us or how they judge us outwardly. I wish that someone could tell me, what is the payoff for them thinking highly of us. I understand when kids want to please their parents or make them proud, but this relationship does not exist with neighbors, work colleagues and complete strangers, but somehow it’s important to us to be seen in a positive light. I think the one thing we are missing here, is that people will always talk about you, rarely to your face, but most often behind your back. It really doesn’t matter if you attempt to direct the narrative or not, because what they don’t know, they have no problem filling in the unknown with gossip and misinformation. I guess it comes down to how comfortable we are in our own skin. I say, let them talk, it may or may not be who you are, but in the end, what difference does it matter? I didn’t get in to many specifics here, because I want you to be able to see yourself here, and possibly reexamine your motivations in life for some of your own personal pursuits. Shinny Things are different for every one, and what I may think is the coolest thing ever, you might find quite boring or mundane. Please here me clearly, I’m not some kind of minimalist, even though I’m not a fan of clutter. There is nothing wrong with stuff or the pursuit of said stuff, however what I am questioning is our motives, and to what ends does it justify the means. Once upon a time a five year car note, was a bit much, however now sometimes the note on a new car loan can be seven to eight years, and possibly longer. Maybe, just maybe we should dial it back a little, so that the car doesn’t have a zero trade in value, while you’re still making payments on it. ☺️☺️I know that may sound extreme,but that is someone’s reality. Sometimes women think it’s idiotic when men try to out do one another and then there are women who are extremely turned on by that. Regardless of your gender designation, if you are playing that old game of ” Keeping up with the Jones”, you must acknowledge that is just a form of a good old fashioned dick measuring contest, and that is kind of like the boat thing, there is always a bigger one out there☺️☺️. It may not sound like it, but I honestly try not to judge. First of all, there are always exceptions to most things that we encounter in life, be it a freak of nature thing, or something that someone tried really hard to make sure that their circle would fit into a square peg. We are all different, yet we are all the same. Much of this is just food for thought, and I proposed a number of questions in this post and I hope that you will insert your name into the process, especially when it comes to motivation and as to why do you care so much about others critique of you, if it’s your boss and it a performance review, than that is something completely different. I hope that you will give some thought to how can you enjoy the moment, and being present, if we are already off to the next thing. Take a moment and think about your kids or grandchildren and think about how you wish you had enjoyed them more before the years got away and now you are looking up at them. ☺️☺️. Sometimes we talk about the elephant in the room, be it in the corner or smack dab in the middle, and I’d be neglectful if I didn’t point it out, so that you don’t trip over it.☺️☺️ . Every single solitary person is born with a God size hole in their being, soul, spiritual self, or however you want to describe it. Often, not always Shinny Things are a temporary substitutes for someone that they can never replace or were ever meant to stand in for. If you do not have a spiritual life, a relationship with God, you will always be chasing Shinny Things until you get them in their proper perspective. These things, be they relationships, inanimate objects , money, possessions, power, or what ever your particular vice is , they will always leave you wanting because you are trying to fill a God size whole, with something that doesn’t fit or belongs in His place. Give God a try and watch how everything else just falls into its proper place. Again nothing wrong with Shinny Things, but they do loose their luster after a while, but that is not true of God!. Remember, more thought provoking insight for you to run through that computer sitting up there on your shoulders.
